Perisher Resort, Australia, Announces Closing Date

Perisher Ski Resort announced today, September 21, 2023, that the resort will be wrapping up operations on Monday, September 25, 2023. As of today, Perisher is the last ski resort still operating in the country, after Charlotte Pass wrapped up the season today.

• Related: Charlotte Pass, Australia, Announcing Closure

The ski season in Australia has been suffering from below average snowfalls and above average temperatures in August and September. August is typically the best month in terms of snow depth in Australian resorts, but this year snow depth topped out at 131cm (52 inches) on July 13 and has been declining rapidly in September, amidst a heat wave sweeping across south-east Australia. Current snow depth at Spencer’s Creek has dwindled to 47cm (19 inches).

Australia is experiencing one of the warmest winters on record. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (‘BOM’), the mean temperature for the winter season is tracking at 1.54°C above average. BOM officially declared an El Niño pattern for the country yesterday. The call had been anticipated for months after the country experienced the second hottest August on record. This is the first El Niño pattern across Australia since 2015/16.

In addition, a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (‘IOD’) is also underway, with a positive IOD threshold (+0.40 °C) being recorded for the fifth week in a row. A positive IOD typically leads to reduced spring rainfall for central and south-east Australia. The last El Niño with a positive IOD period occurred in 2006 in Australia. Compared to 2006, the ski season in Australia was better than 17 years ago.

“The time has come to say goodbye to the 2023 snow season at Perisher with our last day of operations on Monday 25 September.
We’re very proud of the work our team has done to keep as much terrain open for as long as possible, however due to the weather forecast for next week, and already low snow cover, the safety of staff and guests will be compromised if we remain open longer.
We couldn’t be prouder of our entire team this season, particularly the grooming team who have worked their magic every one of the 103 nights that we’ve been able to operate.
A huge thanks to all our staff, who have done a wonderful job all winter long, and to all our guests for the incredible passion and support you have shown us. We are counting down the days until we see you back on the slopes for winter 2024!”